Spartans hang on in conference win
Apr. 18—The Spartans have won three in a row at home after back-to-back wins against Iowa Lakes this weekend and a victory this week over Kirkland.
The 5-3 victory over the Eagles Wednesday almost didn't happen after Kirkwood tied it up in the seventh, but the Spartans hung on, scoring two more runs for the win.
"It's always great to win a conference series," Southwestern Coach Chris Piperno said. "And it makes it even better against a team ranked top 10 in the country."
The Spartans defense made clutch stops from early in the game to keep the Eagles from scoring until the third inning.
A double, single and a walk in the top of the first loaded the bases for Kirkwood with only one out.
Sophomore pitcher Barrett Lodge of Lincoln, Nebraska, struck out the next batter to keep the Eagles from scoring.
"Our pitchers did an outstanding job of keeping the game close and making pitches when it mattered most," Piperno said.
Lodge pitched for six innings, striking out two batters and walking three.
The Spartans were able to get an out at second on the next at-bat to leave three runs on the table for the Eagles in the first.
Brysen Vernon and Shammy-Thayne Maximiliana were on first and second when sophomore Jaxon Brooks smoked a double to send Vernon home.
Eli Eldred and Jacob Angell were both walked, sending Maximiliana home for the second run of the inning.
In the third inning, the Eagles crossed home plate for the first time on a single RBI.
In the fourth inning, Southwestern had runners on first and second when Zade Stark hit a sac bunt to send Nathan Brown to third and Vernon to second.
A sacrifice bunt by sophomore Zade Stark in the fourth inning sends runners to second and third. On the next play, a runner was able to score.
On the next play, Maximiliana's hit let Brown make it home to put the Spartans up by two.
Over the next three innings, Kirkwood caught up in score.
A Spartans fielding error in the fourth gave the Eagles a double. Their next hit slid past shortstop Brown to send in a run.
The Spartans were able to shut the Eagles down with a three-and-out in the sixth, but in the seventh, the Kirkwood offense was back on display.
After back-to-back doubles on the first two runners to tie the game, the Spartans brought in Jose Cherena to pitch.
He only pitched to one batter, resulting in a fly out to Maximiliana.
Second baseman Shammy-Thayne Maximiliana is thrown a ball for an out at second.
Colin Boynton came in to close out the inning, pitching another fly out and then ending the inning with a strikeout to keep the Eagles from taking the lead.
Now it was the Spartans turn to take over on offense. An error at second base gave Miller a single.
"Offensively we did a good job of capitalizing on their mistakes and executing with runners in scoring position," Piperno said.
Eldred hit a pop fly, but the Eagles couldn't communicate, and the ball landed between the three of them, putting runners at first and second. Angell's single sent Miller home to regain the Spartans' lead.
Jake Shedarowich put the ball up, giving Eldred a chance to tag third and make it home for a fifth run.
Collin Nardini of Granger pitched the final two innings, allowing no runs. With runners on first and second, he struck out a batter, the Spartans needing only one more out in the eighth. They found it in the next play on a pop fly.
In the ninth, Nardini saw only four batters, walking one and the other three resulting in base outs.
Shortstop Nathan Brown tosses a fielded ball to first for the out.
The Spartans return to action today at Iowa Western.
